Healthy Lunch Recipes for Sending the Kids Back to School

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By Kirsten Henri <br>Today's parents know that kids need a<br>nutritional lunch, even at school. But what<br>exactly to put in?and how much of it?can seem<br>confusing. "Healthy meals in general should<br>focus on fruits, vegetables and grains," says<br>Mary Ellen Renna, MD, a pediatrician and author of<br>Growing Up Healthy the Next Generation Way.<br>When packing a lunch box, include:<br>- 6 ounces of grains. Choose as many whole<br>grains as possible, since they contain fiber and<br>vitamins that refined grains lack. Look for whole<br>grain breads, tortillas, pastas and cereals.<br>- 2½ cups of vegetables and 1½ cups of fruit.<br>Keep your selections varied, since different<br>fruits and veggies offer different nutrients.<br>Also, try to buy what's in season.<br>-3 cups of milk (2 cups for kids ages two to<br>eight) or an equivalent calcium source. Get<br>calcium from lowfat milk and cheese, yogurt,<br>calcium-fortified soy, and dark, leafy greens.<br>-5 ounces of protein. Look for lean varieties<br>of turkey, chicken and ham, fatty fish such as<br>salmon and tuna, as well as legumes, tofu and<br>tempeh.<br>When grocery shopping, parents should look for<br>unprocessed foods. "A good rule of thumb is, if<br>a label has unpronounceable ingredients or if an<br>ingredient looks like it would be on your shampoo<br>bottle, avoid it," says Jennifer Bevilacqua, a<br>nutritionist who helps families overhaul their<br>kitchens for healthier eating.<br>Follow these guidelines in the grocery store:<br>- Look for whole grains and whole wheat in bread<br>and grain products.<br>- Buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and look for<br>dried fruits labeled "unsulphured" and<br>"unsweetened."<br>- Choose lowfat and organic dairy products.<br>- Choose nitrite-free lunchmeats and low-mercury<br>tuna.<br>- Pack soy nut butter or SunButter instead of<br>peanut butter, since many children are allergic to<br>peanuts and tree nuts.<br>Products to avoid:<br>- High-fructose corn syrup<br>- Partially hydrogenated oils<br>- Trans fats<br>- Nitrite (an additive often used in lunch meats<br>that becomes a carcinogen in our bodies)<br>-Artificial sweeteners (often found in products<br>marked "light" or "sugar-free," or you may<br>see aspartame, Splenda, sucralose or saccharin in<br>the ingredients list)<br>Getting a Picky Eater to Eat<br>- Include children in lunch prep. "Kids are<br>more likely to eat something if they're involved<br>in making it," says Bevilacqua.<br>- Limit choices. Rather than asking your child<br>what he wants out of a limitless selection, Renna<br>suggests giving him two or three healthy options.<br>- Make trying mandatory. Make it a rule that<br>your kids have to at least sample new foods.<br>- Educate them. Renna stresses the importance of<br>letting kids know the benefits of each food. For<br>example, explain how calcium will help them grow<br>strong bones.<br>- Looking good, feeling good. Presentation is a<br>key part of eating. Kids gravitate toward small<br>portions, fun shapes and cute containers.

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